2 Female Actors (F + F) 5 - 8 Minutes Mystery/Crime
Dead Battery
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
EXT. ROADSIDE UNDERPASS - NIGHT
Ek flickering STREETLAMP. Wet asphalt par headlights ka reflection. Distant traffic noise.
Ek SCOOTER underpass ke side mein stalled hai.
OFFICER LEENA (39), street-smart traffic police officer, uniform aur reflective vest mein, stern expression ke saath, notepad aur flashlight lekar frame mein aati hai.
MANSI (23), rain-soaked kurti, helmet pehne, mud lage shoes, cracked phone haath mein, visibly shaken khadi hai.
LEENA
(ghurte hue)
Raat ke do baje, underpass ke beech mein scooter band.
License, papers, aur reason — teenon ek saath chahiye.
MANSI
(gabra kar)
Madam, scooter bas... achanak bandh ho gaya.
LEENA
Achanak sab kuch nahi hota.
Mansi apna cracked phone uthati hai. Screen dead.
MANSI
Phone bhi dead hai. Main kisi ko call hi nahi kar paayi.
LEENA
Phone dead, scooter dead.
(faint sarcasm)
Aaj raat sab kuch dead hi hai kya?
MANSI
Main mazaak ke mood mein nahi hoon.
LEENA
Main bhi nahi.
(beat)
Kahan se aa rahi ho?
MANSI
Kaam se.
LEENA
Kaunsa kaam?
MANSI
Delivery.
LEENA
Delivery ka parcel kahan hai?
MANSI
Pehle tha.
LEENA
Ab?
MANSI
Ab nahi hai.
Leena flashlight se scooter aur Mansi ke shoes par mud dekhti hai.
LEENA
Mud yahan ka nahi lag raha.
MANSI
Mujhe road pe gira tha.
LEENA
Giri ho ya girayi gayi ho?
MANSI
Madam, aap mujhe suspect kar rahi ho?
LEENA
Main sabko suspect karti hoon. Isse kam galti hoti hai.
Mansi ka saans tez ho jaata hai.
MANSI
Mujhe help chahiye thi.
LEENA
Kis cheez ki help?
MANSI
Kisi ko call karna tha. Time pe.
LEENA
Kis ko?
MANSI
(avoid karti hai)
Bas... ek aadmi ko.
LEENA
Naam?
MANSI
Nahi pata.
LEENA
Nahi pata?
MANSI
Usne chehra cover kiya hua tha.
LEENA
Aur tum uske peeche chal padi?
MANSI
Mere paas option nahi tha.
LEENA
Option sabke paas hota hai.
MANSI
Aapke paas bhi?
Leena rukti hai. Notepad mein kuch likhti hai.
LEENA
Aur yeh phone dead kab hua?
MANSI
Jab mujhe call karni thi.
LEENA
Convenient.
MANSI
Sach hai.
LEENA
Sach usually itna convenient nahi hota.
Mansi helmet ka strap kholne lagti hai, ruk jaati hai.
MANSI
Main courier thi.
LEENA
Kis cheez ki?
MANSI
Ek memory card.
LEENA
(eyes narrow)
Memory card?
MANSI
Haan.
LEENA
Raat ke underpass mein? Scooter pe?
MANSI
Main bas deliver kar rahi thi.
LEENA
Kaun de raha tha?
MANSI
Ek aadmi.
LEENA
Naam?
MANSI
Nahi pata.
LEENA
Chehra?
MANSI
Nahi dekha.
LEENA
Toh tumhe kya pata?
MANSI
Itna pata hai ki woh log mujhe dhoondh rahe the.
LEENA
Kaun log?
MANSI
Jo card wapas chahte hain.
LEENA
Aur tum card le ke bhaag rahi thi?
MANSI
Main bhaag nahi rahi thi.
(beat)
Main bach rahi thi.
Leena flashlight Mansi ke helmet par maarke dekhti hai.
LEENA
Helmet ke andar kya chhupa hai?
MANSI
Kuch nahi.
LEENA
Phir haath kyun kaanp rahe hain?
MANSI
Kyuki aapka tone mujhe pasand nahi aa raha.
LEENA
Mere tone se zyada, tumhari kahani mein holes hain.
MANSI
Kahani nahi, raat holes se bhari hui hai.
Beat. Distant truck light passes through underpass.
Mansi instinctively helmet ko pakad leti hai.
LEENA
Helmet utaro.
MANSI
Nahi.
LEENA
Utaro.
MANSI
Madam, please.
LEENA
Abhi.
Mansi slowly helmet utarti hai. Uske hair wet hain. Woh inner lining se ek chhota MEMORY CARD nikaalti hai.
MANSI
Yeh.
LEENA
(steps closer)
Yeh kya?
MANSI
Wahi jo sabko chahiye.
LEENA
Tumne isse chhupaya hua tha?
MANSI
Haan.
LEENA
Kyun?
MANSI
Kyuki agar woh log dekh lete, toh main dead thi.
Leena card ko dekhti hai. Then her eyes shift to her PATROL BAG.
The zipper is slightly open.
Leena slowly turns. Opens the bag.
Inside: another MEMORY CARD packet.
A beat.
MANSI
(whispers)
Aapke bag mein...
LEENA
(sharp, controlled)
Chup.
Mansi stares. Leena stares back at the bag.
LEENA
(quietly)
Yeh yahan kaise aaya?
MANSI
Main ne nahi dala.
LEENA
Mujhe pata hai.
MANSI
Toh phir?
LEENA
(icy)
Koi meri nazar ke neeche se evidence swap kar gaya.
MANSI
Main courier thi.
LEENA
Aur tumne jhooth bola.
MANSI
Phone dead tha, madam.
(beat)
Lekin woh jhooth nahi tha.
LEENA
Phir?
MANSI
Jhooth yeh tha ki main victim hoon.
Leena looks at her, recalculating.
LEENA
Tum courier thi.
MANSI
Haan.
LEENA
Aur yeh card?
MANSI
Stolen memory.
LEENA
Kis ki?
MANSI
Jisne bhi aapke bag mein rakha.
Silence.
LEENA
(steady)
Toh tum mujhe phansa rahi ho?
MANSI
Nahi, madam.
(beat)
Main aapko warning de rahi hoon.
Leena closes the bag slowly.
LEENA
Ab jo sach hai, woh is underpass se bahar jayega.
MANSI
Aapke saath?
LEENA
Mere saath.
A long beat. Sirf traffic noise.
Leena nods toward the scooter.
LEENA
Start karo.
MANSI
Scooter?
LEENA
Haan.
MANSI
Aur phone?
LEENA
Dead battery ko abhi dead hi rehne do.
Mansi looks at Leena, then at the bag.
She puts the cracked phone away.
Leena grips the patrol bag tighter.
The streetlamp flickers once.
CUT TO BLACK.
THE END.
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